by Leena Clover
Ryan had a guilty look.
“I’m ashamed to say I don’t know. I guess we let some people go, or introduce pay cuts.”
So the Franks would not suffer much financially. They would recover their losses via their employees. Could any employee be disgruntled enough to kill the boss? William Derry had been the only employee present in the house yesterday. Could he have sneaked someone in?
I asked Ryan about the gun shot.
“What did you see when you went into your grandpa’s room?”
“Grandpa was slumped over on his desk. I ran out again to tell everyone about it.”
“Was a window open? Do you remember?”
Julie sucked in a breath.
“Do you think the killer was hiding in the room at that time?”
That was a frightening thought.
“Think, Ryan,” I pushed. “Did you see anything out of the ordinary over there? What did you see? What did you feel? Think hard for a minute.”
Ryan obediently closed his eyes and scrunched up his face. He started talking.
“I see Grandpa slumped over his desk. There’s a faint smell, something earthy, something floral. I smell coffee.”
He opened his eyes and stared back at us.
“Not very helpful, huh?” he apologized.
“Who was the first person you saw when you rushed into the living room?”
“There were a group of people in a semi-circle. Chamberlain was standing next to your grandpa.”
I turned to Julie.
“Did you peep in too?”
She shook her head.
“I was scared. There wasn’t time anyway. Ryan was in and out of the study in a second. I just ran after him into the living room.”
“What about Noah?”
Both kids thought Noah had been behind them. They didn’t know if he had peeped into the study.
“What was Noah doing when you noticed him?”
“He was consoling Mom,” Julie said immediately. Her nostrils flared. “She should have been with Dad.”
“It was a shock for everyone,” Tony admitted.
“When Grandpa was ill earlier, I was so afraid,” Julie wept. “But he pulled through that. Christmas was going to be special.”
The mood in the kitchen dampened a bit. It was getting late and maybe it was high time we turned in. The boys cleaned up the kitchen and we went out. There was a stack of fresh sheets on one of the couches. A pile of blankets lay next to it.
“Chamberlain must have brought these down,” Julie whispered. “He’s so thoughtful.”
Ryan stoked the fire and added a couple of logs. Julie and I each picked a couch. Chorizo appeared from somewhere and swished through my legs. She jumped up on Julie’s stomach and went to sleep.
The boys chose to sleep on the carpeted floor. The carpets in the Frank house were thicker than a sleeping bag so I guessed they would be fine.
I closed my eyes and started counting. I couldn’t wait for next morning.
Chapter 22
Day 3 at the Frank mansion dawned. The previous night had been uncomfortable for almost everyone.
Pappa’s grouchy voice woke me up first.
“I don’t care if we have to walk home. I’m sleeping in my own bed today.”
Motee Ba was trying to shush him up. I’m sure she didn’t want us to sound ungrateful. My grandparents looked a bit worse for wear. Their faces looked freshly scrubbed. Pappa sported a finger combed look. But their clothes were rumpled and they gave out a slightly musky odor even at a distance. I sniffed my arm pit to gauge how bad I stank myself.
The different armchairs and couches around me were empty. There were no sheets on the floor. That meant everyone was up and about. I had overslept. Actually, I had been awake almost all night. Between the porcine snores and the barking dog, I could hardly catch any sleep. I had pulled at Ryan’s leg until he finally got up and took the dog out.
“Good morning, Meera.”
Motee Ba spotted me sitting up on the couch.
“Your mother’s trying to get a later flight. They might come in very late and wait at the airport overnight.”
Dad must have called her first thing in the morning.
“Your Dad talked to her,” she said, confirming my thoughts.
“What time is it? Isn’t it too early in California?”
“It’s past 9.”
“What?” I shrieked.
I bounded up the stairs to the guest room allotted to us. I was tempted to take a cold shower. Breakfast had been served and most of the inmates had already eaten. Some of the stragglers hung around the dining room table. Amanda must have convinced the cook to put up some breakfast.
There was a platter of breakfast sausage and a carton of milk. Stan Miller was peeling a boiled egg. He sprinkled salt on it and cut it into quarters.
“You are encouraged to drink as much milk as you can,” he said. “It’s on its way out, apparently.”
My Pappa is a stickler for his soft boiled egg. I’m not a big fan though. I wondered if I could make a quick omelet for myself.
“If you’re thinking of scrambling some eggs, count me in.”
Noah was sitting alone a few paces from Stan. I hadn’t noticed him. Stan looked hopeful and stopped peeling the eggs. I sighed and nodded. Plus, I figured being in Noah’s good books wouldn’t hurt. I needed to talk to him.
I slammed three platefuls of cheesy eggs on the table a few minutes later and sat down. I missed the Tabasco. We don’t eat anything without it at home.
“Excellent,” Noah approved. “We got your fried chicken for dinner once. The old man wanted to try it.”
“Do you miss him?” I asked simply.
Noah was a grown man. Mr. Frank may have been his biological father but they had a complicated relationship.
“Surprisingly, I do.”
Stan was quiet, and I hoped he would take a back seat in this conversation.
I looked around us and leaned closer to Noah as if sharing a secret with him.
“Come on. It’s just us. You don’t have to lie.”
His eyebrows shot up his forehead but he said nothing.
“Surely you hated him for what he did to your mother?”
“I did,” he admitted readily. “But that was a long time ago. I was a child at that time.”
“So you hated this man all your life and suddenly you’re grieving for him?”
“That’s not how it happened.”
Noah launched into the story of his life. His mother had given him the impression that Mr. Frank had abandoned them. He didn’t actually know the identity of his father at that time. Noah had grown up hating the man who had given his mother so much grief. His mother had confessed on her death bed. His father wasn’t aware of his existence.
“Did your anger vanish overnight?”
I really wanted to know that.
“Funnily enough, it didn’t. I struggled with it for some time. Logically, I knew this man wasn’t guilty of anything. But I couldn’t forget all the tears I had shed.”
“Must have been hard on you.”
“I thought so at the time. Then I lost my wife. I didn’t know what real grief was until then. I sunk into a depression. I lost my job. I was in total despair when the old man located me.”
“You just agreed to come and live with him?”
Noah scooped up his remaining eggs with a piece of bread. He was drinking the almost sour milk.
“Didn’t have much choice at the time. Wasn’t thinking straight either. I was in a daze, Meera.”
“Living here must have been quite a change.”
Noah laughed readily.
“It took some getting used to. I mean, a genuine butler? I’d never even dreamed of this kind of money.”
“Did you feel they owed you something?”
“The old man offered me a hefty sum. He told me I could walk out any time I wanted. But he would rather I stayed.”
Noah draine
d his glass and wiped his mouth with a napkin. We all knew what he had chosen to do.
“I stayed,” he went on. “I was dazzled by all the luxury. All I had to do was snap my fingers and my slightest whim was fulfilled. But it paled in comparison to something more precious.”
I waited for him to go on. Stan and I were both engrossed in this story.
“I had found a family. I never had kids of my own. My wife was too frail. Julie and Ryan started calling me Uncle.”
His voice had become heavy with emotion.
“They are good kids,” he said. “And Amanda…she rolled out the red carpet for me. She never made me feel I was an outsider. The old man built a mini golf course for me. I was so happy.”
“What about working at Frank Foods?” I asked. “Something you don’t like about sausage?”
I couldn’t ask him the real question. Was he averse to work?
“Teddy needs some support over there,” he said. “Teddy wanted me to go there and keep an eye on things. There had been some trouble. Profits weren’t what they used to be.”
“What was the problem then?”
“It didn’t feel right,” Noah quipped. “Teddy’s been working there since he was barely out of school. He built it all up along with the old man. I didn’t feel right going in there on his turf.”
“Even if it would have helped him?” Stan spoke up.
“I thought he was just being kind.”
“What did Mr. Frank want you to do?”
“He wanted me to go in there and start learning the business.”
“Did he offer you a stake?”
Noah shook his head.
“Almost every day. But it wasn’t about that. I came so close to losing it. Now I just want to take it easy. I want a stress free life.”
I didn’t think Noah had earned this stress free life.
“So you felt entitled?”
Noah colored a bit.
“I did, I guess. So what? I suppose you think I’m sponging off these people.”
“Did you get half of the estate?”
“Nowhere close. Half of a few millions is a lot. I don’t need that kind of money.”
“Surely you are entitled to half. You are Mr. Frank’s son too, just like Ted Junior.”
“Junior earned most of it himself. He’s got the kids to think about.”
“Did you ever stop hating the old man?”
Stan had spoken up again. He just can’t keep a low profile.
Noah didn’t respond to that but his eyes filled up and he looked away.
“How is your relationship with Teddy? Did you two connect as brothers?”
“It was hard. We both grew up thinking we were an only child. But we are getting used to the idea.”
“But you won’t die for him?” I joked, trying to summon up a laugh.
“We hardly see each other,” Noah reasoned. “We should start spending more time together.”
“Did Mr. Frank want you to mingle with him?”
“It was his fondest wish. He wanted us to really get along. He was planning this big vacation. He talked about it all the time, you know. Charter a boat and go to Mexico…”
We all wanted coffee so I went to the kitchen looking for some. Mrs. Jones had made a fresh pot and I brought it out.
“You were settling in well then? Getting close to your father and your brother…how did you fall for Amanda? Did it just happen or is it some kind of secret revenge plan?”
“What are you talking about?” Noah’s voice hardened. “Haven’t we discussed this before?”
“I saw you last night,” I told him. “My gut says you are in love with her. Tell me I’m wrong.”
Noah abandoned his bluster.
“She’s an amazing woman.”
“Who is also your brother’s wife,” I reminded him. “All that stuff you just said about connecting with Teddy Junior. You think that’s gonna happen when he finds out?”
Noah cradled his cup of coffee in his hands. They were trembling as he brought the cup toward his mouth.
“I messed up. I fell for her in the first week I got here. But I never thought she would return my feelings.”
“So you just flaunted it. Was it for some kind of vengeance? Payback for growing up poor?”
“We’ve been quiet about it,” Noah protested. “I don’t know how you found out.”
Stan and I both rolled our eyes. We told him exactly how we came to know about this little affair.
“The kids know?” he groaned. “How? They must hate me for this.”
“What’s the future of your relationship?” I asked Noah. “Are you going to go off somewhere and live with her?”
“There is no future,” Noah said sadly. “We talked about it.”
“So you had a brief fling and decided to stop one fine day?”
“It’s for the best.”
“Does Ted Junior know about this?”
“God, no.”
“How can you be sure?”
“He wouldn’t sit on it, would he?”
I switched tracks.
“Do you keep up with what’s happening at the plant?”
“Not really but I do hear stuff. What do you want to know?”
“Ted Junior was talking about taking partners. Is the business in trouble?”
“They were having a bad year. Some job cuts were coming up.”
“That must have riled some people up?”
Noah shrugged.
“The old man was talking about modernizing the plant this year. That meant almost a 50% reduction in the workforce.”
This was a motive alright.
“And Ted Junior’s method wouldn’t cut the jobs?”
Noah scratched his head.
“I don’t know about that. You will have to ask him.”
I wanted to ask Noah one more question. Where had Amanda been when they came running up the passage from the game room? Had she come out of the living room? Or had she already been standing in their path?
I didn’t know how to ask that without arousing suspicion so I kept quiet.
“Any updates on the roads?” I asked Stan.
“I am going to put in a call now.”
I remembered the snowplows. I told Noah about them.
“Let’s go out and gather the boys. We’ll see if we can rig some trucks up with the plows.”
Chamberlain glided into the dining room.
“Someone tuned into the radio. They are predicting a high of 40 today. The city roads are finally paved. We think they will start clearing our road now.”
I went out looking for Tony. Maybe we could get to the city after all later today. Stan followed me out.
“Fancy a walk?” he asked me.
I nodded. We had a lot to talk about.
“Let me get my coat, Stan.”
Motee Ba wanted to tell me something so I went to her.
“Your mother called again. They couldn’t get a later flight so they are keeping to their old schedule.”
“They’ll be home soon,” I smiled.
I couldn’t wait to see them – all of them.
Chapter 23
We stepped out of the mansion into shimmering sunlight. As feeble as it was, it felt good on my skin. I willed the snow to start melting soon so I could drive to the airport.
Stan pointed toward a building in the distance. This wasn’t the barn we had visited earlier, the one with the Ferrari as Tony called it. A bunch of people were gathered around something. I could make out Tony and Ryan. Noah was almost there. He must have started walking there while I was talking to Motee Ba.
“What are they doing?” Stan asked.
“They must be trying to get the snowplows on. Let’s go check it out.”
Stan nodded.
“Don’t rush, Meera. We can talk on the way.”
There was no one around us but I was a bit wary of being overheard. I cautioned Stan to keep an eye out. The snow was deep and soft, a
nd every step sunk my foot in up to my calf. It was slow going.
“Did you get a chance to talk to anyone?” Stan asked.
“I talked to a lot of people. Don’t know what use it was though.”
“Can you rule anyone out?”
“Julie, maybe? She’s a sweet girl.”
“That doesn’t mean she is innocent, Meera.”
“I know that. I spent some time with her. We were in the kitchen getting dinner ready. There was no one else around. That got her talking.”
“Does she know about Crystal?”
“She doesn’t. She had a hard time making friends. She seemed happy at the idea of having Crystal as a roomie. Mr. Frank told her he had a big surprise. She didn’t know what it was but she would have loved bunking with Crystal.”
“What else did she talk about?”
“She’s mad at her mother for sending her away. I think we can guess why Amanda did that.”
“She didn’t want any disturbances while carrying on with lover boy.”
I nodded.
“Julie’s just a confused kid. She was happy to be home for the holidays. Her grandpa was her pal. She was eager to hang out with him again. She wouldn’t harm him even in a fit of anger.”
“You are fairly convinced about this girl then.”
“I don’t see a motive here, Stan. We need to rule her out so we can move on to the rest.”
We were walking under a row of trees. The branches were covered with ice and snow hung on the boughs. I pulled at a branch and was rewarded with a spray of icy water and snow.
“What about the other kid?” Stan went on. “Is he also too good to be true?”
“He did sound that way,” I admitted.
I told Stan all about Ryan and his ambitions for his band.
“He’s ready to give it all up? Maybe he was just leading you on.”
“Didn’t feel that way, but you could be right.”
I had felt a kinship with Ryan. I was going through a similar phase in my own life. I had finally given in to my Dad’s wishes and started teaching at Pioneer, not because he wanted me to. After resisting my Dad for a long time, I had realized he was right. I had enjoyed being a teaching assistant this last semester. Maybe parents did know better.
“He was too shocked to notice much about Mr. Frank’s study. But he smelt something peculiar.”